


Lions Among Men

by Celestialheartmage



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-13 02:14:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7958377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celestialheartmage/pseuds/Celestialheartmage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allura is a foreign exchange student at a local university with Shiro. When pancakes change her life, she meets a group of friends that she feels she could take on the world with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pancakes

It started out as a normal class, and then it dissolved into madness. The semester was coming to a close and they were deciding what to do as a celebration. Shiro was happy that the class was ending. He needed it for his graduate degree, but he really did not like math. He was packing up his textbook as he tuned into the current discussion.

"I think we should make pancakes," one of his classmates suggested.

"Excellent idea," Professor Coran commended.

"What is a ' _pancake_ '?" a slightly accented voice asked from the side of the room. A collective gasp rose up from the room.

"Allura, have you never had pancakes?" the girl next to the foreigner asked.

"I don't believe we have those in Altea, Uncle," she said thoughtfully.

"Well, a pancake is a flat disk that is made from flour and some other things. It's typically serves at breakfast," Professor Coran explained.

"Is it sweet like an actual cake?" Allura asked curiously.

"No, not exactly," their professor replied.

"Can we get back to planning?" a voice whined.

"I think we should do waffles."

"I want eggs."

The conversation turned back to their celebration and away from pancakes. They eventually settled on eggs and bacon with various sides. However, Shiro couldn't stop thinking about Allura and how she may not ever get to try pancakes now. He watched as class ended and the white haired foreigner walked out of class, her hair flowing behind her from the motion. A plan formed in his head. He was going to do this.

* * *

Allura pushed her glasses up her nose before returning back to her laptop. Ever since her Uncle Coran mentioned pancakes, she had been curious to learn more about them. She was glad she came to this country, though. She got to meet her Uncle for the first time, she had great classes, and now she was learning about pancakes. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Just a minute!" She called out as she quickly closed her laptop and walked over to her door. She was slightly surprised to see Shiro standing on the other side. She had a couple of classes with him, but they rarely saw each other outside of class. Although they did study together on various occasions and he did show her around when she first arrived in town.

"Shiro, may I help you with something?" she asked him.

" _Pancakes_ ," he replied. Allura's head tilted in confusion.

"Pancakes?" she repeated. "What about them?"

Shiro blushed before clearing his throat, "I mean, do you want to go for pancakes? You mentioned in class that you've never had them and I figured that maybe you and I could go out for pancakes since you won't be having any in class."

"You want to take me out for pancakes?" She asked as her eyes lit up at the prospect.

"I-it's not a date or anything," Shiro stammered.

"I'd love to! Let me just get my shoes on," Allura exclaimed as she slipped on a pair of flats and closed the door behind them. "Lead the way."

* * *

Shiro and Allura walked arm in arm towards a local diner called 'The Castle" which was known to serve breakfast all day. Shiro held the door open for Allura as they entered. As they were waiting for a server, a voice called out to them.

"Hey, Shiro! What's up?" the stranger said. They turned to see a group of teens sitting in a large corner booth.

"Lance, how are you?" Shiro said as he smiled and walked over to them.

"Hello there, and who is this lovely lady?" Lance asked as he eyed Allura. Shiro unconsciously wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"This is Allura. She's an exchange student at my school. Her uncle is a math professor," Shiro explained.

"Is she your girlfriend?" the guy next to him asked as he looked from Shiro down to his arm around Allura's waist. Shiro noticed where he was looking and blushed before removing his arm.

"Shiro, I am very curious now. How do you know this group of boys?" Allura asked.

"Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge are all high school students at my old high school. I go back from time to time. Also, Pidge is a girl," Shiro explained.

"Well, it's lovely to meet you all," Allura told them.

"How about you two sit with us?" Lance asked.

Shiro looked at Allura, "Is it alright with you?"

"I don't mind a bit," she said as she slid in next to the boy that had been called Keith.

"So, Allura, where are you from?" Pidge asked.

"I come from a place called Altea. It's not on a lot of your maps I've noticed," Allura replied. She looked over at the boy sitting next to her. He was doodling all over his placemat.

"What are you drawing?" She asked him, causing him to jump.

"Oh, um, this is just concept art," he sheepishly explained.

"Concept art for what?" Shiro asked.

"Keith thinks he can make his own comic series. Crazy, right?" Lance remarked.

"I think it's interesting, actually," Hunk said. Lance gave his best friend a weird look.

" _What_?" Hunk asked. Lance just shook his head. The server came over to the table to take their order.

* * *

They continued to talk about miscellaneous things until their food came out. A large plate of pancakes was placed in front of Allura. The table all turned to watch her, having been informed of their purpose for coming to the diner. Allura smiled at them before picking up her fork and knife and cutting into her pancakes. She lifted a piece to her mouth and was about to bite it before Hunk stopped her.

"Wait!" he called. Allura dropped her fork in shock.

"What's wrong?" she asked as the table turned towards him.

" _You can't just eat that_ ," Hunk told her.

"Why can't she?" Pidge inquired.

"You're missing syrup," Hunk replied with a proud smile before pouring some on her pancakes. Allura looked up at Shiro next to her.

"He's right, you know. You can't have pancakes without syrup," he smiled.

"Now can I eat them?" Allura asked. The teens laughed as she picked up her fork again, stabbed a piece, and ate it.

"Mmm. These taste amazing!" Allura smiled.

"I'm glad you like them," Shiro responded. The rest of them dug into their food as the table settled into silence, all of them enjoying their meals.

Eventually it became time to leave.

"Well, it was nice seeing you kids," Shiro said as he and Allura got up to leave.

"Hey, wait. Why don't we make this a regular thing?" Lance asked.

"I don't see why not," Pidge added.

"I mean, if it's alright with you two," Keith said.

"I don't mind. Do you?" Shiro asked as he looked at Allura.

"I'd love to," she smiled.

"Great, so we'll see you tomorrow?" Hunk asked.

"Sure thing," Shiro smiled.

* * *

Allura and Shiro left the diner and walked back to Allura's house that she shared with her Uncle.

"Shiro, I do have one concern about hanging out with them," she said thoughtfully.

"What is it?" he replied.

"If we go to a diner everyday, I may run out of funds," she laughed.

"Well, I'm sure we could hang out at my apartment or your house sometime, too. I mean, if that's okay with you," he told her.

"That's a marvelous idea! My Uncle's house is so large that sometimes it does feel empty when it's just me," she said.

Finally, they made it to her front door.

"Shiro, thank you for introducing me to pancakes. I had a lot of fun," she smiled.

"Any time, Princess. I'm just looking forward to tomorrow."

"Princess?" she asked with a smirk.

"S-sorry. It just kinda slipped out. You're always so polite and dignified. It reminds me of royalty," he explained.

"It's fine," she laughed, "You can call me that if you want."

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Shiro awkwardly shuffled on her front porch.

Allura quickly hugged him and said goodbye before returning inside. She couldn't wait for tomorrow.


	2. Green Goo

Allura awoke to the smell of something burning. Terrified that the house was on fire, she quickly slid on her slippers and ran out the door of her bedroom. She quickly rushed to the source of the smell to find her Uncle in the kitchen, burning whatever food he was preparing.

"Uncle Coran, what are you doing?" She asked as she took in the disarray of the kitchen. There was green goo everywhere, and burnt green goo on the stove and the frying pan her Uncle was holding.

"Allura, you're awake! I was just making pancakes since you haven't had them before," He told her with a grin.

"Well, Uncle," she started, "as kind as that is, I have actually had pancakes. Shiro took me out to a diner for pancakes last night. We ended up meeting some of his friends and we are going there again tonight."

"Oh, that's good! Especially since these are  _not_  coming out as well as I wanted them to," Coran sighed, "I don't know how I can salvage these. I might just have to make a new batch."

Allura chuckled and walked over to one of the many cabinets in the kitchen before pulling out a box of cereal. She placed it down in front of her uncle and shrugged.

" _Cereal_? You want  _cereal_  over my pancakes?" Coran scoffed.

"I just don't want to put you through the trouble of making a whole new batch," Allura diplomatically replied. She wasn't entirely sure why the batter was green. Her pancakes from last night were not that color. They were tan and fluffy with a hint of cinnamon. In a word, they had been delicious. Her uncle's pancakes just didn't look as appetizing.

"Oh, I can assure you its no trouble at all," Coran replied with a wave of his hand.

"Uncle, I am quite serious. It's  _fine_. I don't need pancakes two days in a row. However, I must ask, why are they green?" Allura inquired.

"Oh, the color comes from the matcha powder I added to give it more health benefits," he responded with pride. Allura had to resist the urge to make a face. Her uncle was notorious for slipping the offending green powder into everything. She had only been there for a couple of months now, but she'd grown to tolerate it. Sometimes she couldn't even taste it, but other times it ruined the rest of the meal. Allura shook her head and rummaged around for a bowl and a spoon before pouring herself some cereal. She added some milk to it before sitting at the island in the kitchen.

"So, Allura,  _how was your date with Shiro_?" Coran asked as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"It  _wasn't_  a date, Uncle. He said so himself. Besides, we met his friends so it wasn't like we were alone," she sighed as she scooped up another spoonful of cereal.

"So it was a group date. I hear that's all the rage with the kids these days."

"Uncle, I'm sure that Shiro just felt bad about the fact that I had never had pancakes and was being nice. He is a very nice guy," Allura replied. If she was being honest, she  _did_  wish it had been a date. She'd always found Shiro to be attractive. He was also kind and caring, especially when it came to helping her adjust to life in a new place. However, she figured Shiro was just like that with everyone, so she never took it as him being that way just to her.

"You have the misfortune of sitting in front of him in class, my dear. You don't see the way he looks at you.  _I_ , however, do," Coran said as he whipped a towel out of a drawer and proceeded to clean up the mess from his valiant attempt to make breakfast.

"And  _you_ , Uncle, are a hopeless romantic that only sees what he wishes," she smirked at him.

"Oh, pish posh," Coran replied, but he dropped the subject of Allura's love life for now. He finished cleaning the stove off and put the dishes in the dishwasher before pouring himself cereal and sitting down at the island with her.

"So, you're meeting up with Shiro again later?" Coran asked.

"Yes. I'm going to hang out with him and his friends from high school at the diner. I would also like to ask you if we could hang out here sometime since the diner would get expensive to keep up with after a while," she said.

"Well, I don't see why not. I don't like how you're always home alone when I'm out running errands, anyways. Just don't burn the house down," Coran chuckled as he put his bowl in the dishwasher before kissing the top of Allura's head and going to take a shower.

* * *

Allura finished her cereal before deciding to hop on her laptop. She walked over towards the couch in the living room before putting her phone on the coffee table and grabbing her laptop. After sitting down on the couch, she opened her laptop and smiled as she noticed it was still on the pancakes Wikipedia page. She was about to go look at the news to read about the latest in astrological sightings since she was an astronomy major, but then her phone started buzzing. She pushed her laptop off her lap and went to grab her phone off the table. She unlocked it to find a message from Shiro.

 _"Meet me in the park by your house in an hour? I figured we could hang out for a bit before going to the diner,_ " he had sent. Allura bit her lip and smiled a bit before typing back.

" _I'll see you then_ ," she replied. She even added a smiley face to the end of it for good measure, just in case her uncle was right. He probably wasn't. She still didn't understand why he was teaching math. He had a tendency to get the wrong answer on those word problems that sound something like "Train A leaves the station at 9:30, Train B leaves the station at 10, when will they intersect."

Allura couldn't return to her Internet surfing now that she had a possible date to get ready for. She hopped off the couch and went to take a shower, hoping that her uncle hadn't taken all the hot water again.

* * *


	3. A Meeting in the Park

Allura emerged from the shower like a new woman. She walked over to her closet and slid it open. She knew it wasn't a date, but she still wanted to look nice. However, it was the last week of November. Since it was a tad on the colder side, she'd have to take that into account. With that thought in mind, she pulled out a long-sleeved dress that ended a little below her knees. It had patchwork horizontal stripes of different fabrics in a pattern. The sleeves looked slightly Princess-like with how they attached to the dress and formed a little poof. The sleeves also came in at the wrist before turning into a frilly cuff. She paired it with tan leg warmers and reddish-brown leather boots. She pulled her hair off to the side in a braid before looking in the mirror. She looked  _good_. She grabbed her dark brown leather jacket and her purse before heading out the door to meet Shiro at the park near her house.

* * *

It wasn't a very cold day for November. That was something Shiro noticed as he sat on the bench waiting for Allura. He had gotten there early, breezing through all of his morning routine due to the excitement of seeing her a bit before they met up with his other friends. He didn't mind that his fellow Paladins had borrowed her. Shiro was thinking about how they met before being pulled from his reverie by a person sitting beside him.

"Shiro, do you always stare off into space at parks?" Allura asked him

"Only when waiting for a beautiful exchange student to show up," Shiro replied automatically before blushing.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Allura teased, although her cheeks were becoming crimson. Shiro then casually took in Allura's appearance, causing him to blush even more before replying.

"Well, yeah. Who wouldn't?" he coughed.

"So… is there a particular reason for meeting me here?" she ventured.

"I figured we could get some coffee or something before hanging out with chaos later," he chuckled.

"Chaos?" She asked confusedly.

"The Paladins," Shiro replied.

" _Oh_ , your friends. Why do you call them the Paladins?" Allura asked as an amused smile came over her face.

"Well, our school mascot is the knight, but Pidge thought Paladin sounded cooler, it kind of just stuck for us. We call each other that now," Shiro explained.

"So how exactly do you know them?" Allura asked, "I know you said you went to the same high school, but you're at least ten years older than some of them."

Shiro smiled, "Well, when I went to Garrison High School, I was the top athlete in my class. I played football, basketball, and I also held record for racing."

"Racing what exactly?" Allura inquired.

"Cars. I used to build racecars and race them at the local racetrack. Pidge, Hunk, and Lance are all on a team that makes their own to race as well. Keith is homeschooled, but he races. Garrison had an after school session about it and invited me to speak. They were the only four that showed up. However, we've been friends ever since," Shiro explained.

"That sounds amazing. I wish I could race," Allura said, "It must feel so remarkable to go speeding around. The closest I can get to that is when I take out my uncle's scooter." Allura chuckled at how ridiculous she sounded, equating a racecar to a scooter.

"If you want to go on something faster, I could take you on my motorcycle sometime," he offered.

"I would love that," she beamed. Shiro took a look at his watch.

"We're supposed to meet the guys in ten minutes. We should probably get going," Shiro replied before getting up off the bench. Allura followed as they began to walk towards the diner to meet the Paladins at The Castle.

* * *

"Are you sure we'll make it in time?" she asked as Shiro took her hand and started to walk faster.

"I'm not entirely sure," he laughed.

"Will your friends really care if we're a tad late?" She shot back. Shiro stopped in his tracks.

"No, probably not. Although, since we're showing up together, Lance might make a few remarks," Shiro grinned.

"Are you afraid of his teasing?" Allura laughed.

"No, I just don't know how well you'll be able to handle it," he teased.

"I can assure you, I can handle myself," she shot back in mock offense.

"My apologies, Princess," Shiro replied.

"Apology accepted, Paladin," Allura smiled.

* * *

Finally, they stopped in front of the diner and walked inside. They were ten minutes late.

"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to show up," Lance smirked.

"Lance, you literally just got here two seconds before they did," Keith pointed out.

"You wanna go, mullet-head?" Lance instigated.

"No one's going anywhere," Shiro said as he pulled Keith and Lance into a weird side hug by their necks. Allura chuckled from behind them, watching the scene take place. Lance managed to wiggle free and leaned an elbow on the wall before looking down at Allura.

Lance smirked before speaking, "I'm sure Allura and I could go somew-"

" _Lance_ ," Shiro reprimanded. The teen sighed and walked back over to his friends.

"Nice try, buddy," Hunk consoled as he patted Lance on the back.

"Whatever," Lance mumbled.

"Let's…go get a table," Pidge said as she walked back over towards the booth they'd occupied yesterday. The others followed. Allura couldn't wait to see what would happen today with this bunch. They had a tendency to defy her expectations.


	4. Milkshakes

"So, Allura, I was trying to add you on social media last night, but I couldn't find you anywhere," Pidge said after they were all seated.

"Oh, I don't have social media," Allura replied as she looked over the menu. She didn't hear the collective gasp due to being so engrossed in the food possibilities. Although she'd been here for almost half a year, she hadn't really gotten a chance to try most of the things on this menu. Her Uncle had tried to make food from home in order to help her feel less homesick, and when he wasn't home, she'd order out. Her personal favorites were lo mein from the Chinese restaurant down the street and pizza. Whenever she ordered out, she'd have to hide the evidence from Coran and make him think she had eaten his leftovers. She hated lying to him, but she could only take so much.

"What's a  _milkshake_?" She asked as she looked up from the menu. The shaken milk came in three flavors: strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla. She scrunched her nose as she tried to think about what type of cow made strawberry milk.

"A milkshake is good," Lance told her.

"She didn't ask if it was good, she asked what it was, Lance," Keith shot back, "It's like a… um. Huh. How would we describe it to someone who's never had one?"

"I think the best way to describe it would be to just have her get one and try it," Hunk offered.

"Well, what flavor do you suggest I get?" She asked the table. They all broke out in their opinions, causing a ruckus as they argued over which flavor was best. While they were arguing, Shiro leaned down to whisper in Allura's ear.

"What kind of ice cream do you like?" He asked her.

"Out of those three choices? Strawberry. Why?" She asked.

"Then get a strawberry milkshake. It's basically like ice cream that you drink," he explained. By then, the fighting had died down as the other Paladins agreed to disagree for once, for Allura's sake.

"You  _have_  to get a burger and fries to go with it," Lance told her.

Allura laughed, "Why?"

"It's like how you pair certain wine with food. If you get a milkshake, you get a burger," Shiro explained.

"Well then, when in Rome," Allura giggled as she put the menu back. The server came over to take their order. After they left, Allura was once more bombarded with questions.

"So, Allura, why don't you have social media?" Pidge asked as they pushed their glasses up their face.

"Well, I didn't exactly have time for it back in Altea, and when I got here, I just didn't feel the need to make one," she replied.

" _Girl, you gotta get a tumblr_ ," Lance told her. The rest of the table groaned.

"What's a tumblr?" Allura asked.

"It's a website where you create your own blog," Hunk explained.

"We all have one. It's addicting. You should stay away," Keith warned her. Allura suddenly looked over at Shiro and raised an eyebrow.

"Do  _you_  have a tumblr?" she asked him. She thought the idea of him having a tumblr was silly. He seemed like he would be into different things.

"Actually, yes. Someone has to keep an eye on them," Shiro said as he gestured to Keith and Lance who were elbowing each other in the booth. Hunk and Pidge had taken to flicking sugar packets into each other's finger goals. Allura definitely could understand why Shiro felt the need to watch over the group of teens.

"I wouldn't mind trying that out then, if all of you are on there," she told them. They all stopped their shenanigans and turned to look at her, smiles gracing all of their faces.

"Really?" Lance asked. Allura nodded.

"I can  _totally_  help you make your blog," Pidge said excitedly.

Allura laughed, "I would love that."

"I guess I'll have to bring my laptop here with me tomorrow," Pidge added. Allura looked at Shiro with wide eyes, remembering their conversation from yesterday about possibly hanging out at their houses instead. Shiro seemed to read her mind and winked at her.

"Actually, Allura and I were discussing this yesterday and thought it might be better if we met at either her house or mine in the future. It'll get expensive for us all if we keep coming here," Shiro told them.

"I'm down with that," Lance said. The others all nodded in agreement.

"My Uncle said you were welcome at our house. He doesn't like the idea of me staying home alone all the time when he's gone," she told them. The table suddenly got quiet.

"Is it just you and your Uncle?" Keith asked.

"Yes. My father is currently in Altea. He wanted me to go to school and get a quality education, so he sent me here," she smiled. She did miss her father a lot most days, but her experience here wasn't unpleasant. If it weren't for the fact that her father wasn't here, she might even consider staying after she got her degree.

"Can you tell us more about Altea?" Pidge asked. Pidge was very curious about it since they hadn't heard of it before.

"There's not much to tell," Allura deflected. That was a lie. There was  _a lot_  to say about Altea, but it would be a story for another day. Fate was looking down on Allura that day and their food arrived. In a show of solidarity, the rest of them had also gotten milkshakes and burgers.

"Well, are you ready for us to change your life again for the second day in a row?" Shiro teased.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she chuckled. She pulled the wrapper off her straw and stuck it in her milkshake. She dragged the milkshake closer to her before taking a sip. It was thick and sweet as it spilled over her tongue. Shiro was right. It was basically just drinkable ice cream.

"Well?" Hunk asked.

"It's good," she told them. She didn't quite understand the hype about it, but she definitely liked the milkshake.

" _See_ , she only said ' _good_.' If she had gotten chocolate, she would have been speechless," Lance teased.

" _Vanilla_  is better," Keith shot back.

"Well, how about we have Allura decide?" Lance asked as he pushed his chocolate milkshake towards her. Keith looked over at Lance before rushing to push his vanilla milkshake toward Allura as well. Lance pushed his closer. Keith mimicked the gesture until the cups were almost towards the edge of the table. Shiro noticed the cups start to tip and swiftly picked them up and placed them back on the table before they could spill.

"Knock it off, you two," he scolded.

"Yes, dad," Lance mumbled. The table turned to look at him.

"Did you just… call Shiro ' _dad_ '?" Keith asked before busting out in laughter.

"Well, he  _does_  act like a dad," Lance defended.

"I can see it," Pidge said as they cleaned their glasses.

"Does that make Allura ' _mom_ '?" Hunk asked in confusion. Allura choked on her milkshake, causing it to go up her nose.

"Are you okay?" Shiro asked, "Put your arms up. It'll help." He lifted her arms towards the ceiling before rubbing circles on her back until she stopped coughing.

"See? Total dad material," Lance pointed out, causing everyone to chuckle. Shiro started to blush before taking a bite of his hamburger.

The table fell into silence as they all ate their burgers. Allura didn't tell them that this was her first hamburger. She really needed to get out more, she thought. It was delicious, though. It was juicy and the fries were perfectly salty. Shiro was right again, it did go well with the milkshake. Maybe she'd have to hang out with him more often, not that that was anything to complain about. Allura finished her hamburger and wiped her mouth with her napkin to find everyone looking at her.

"What? Is there something on my face?" she asked.

"No. We're just… You were really hungry, weren't you?" Keith asked in shock. Allura chuckled before telling them about her breakfast experience with her uncle and they all nodded.

"That makes sense," Hunk said, "That totally sucks about the health food kick, though. My mom was on that at one point. Remember that, Lance?"

"Oh yeah. It was  _terrible_. Hunk asked my mom to make him a lunch and I'd have to bring two lunches to school everyday," Lance added.

"I remember that! I used to make fun of Lance because I thought he was eating it all by himself because he's such a twig," Pidge laughed.

"You're a twig, too! No one can tell you're a girl with that figure," Lance shot back.

"That was kind of the point. I mean, we go to an all boys private school. I kinda  _have_  to hide the fact that I'm a girl," Pidge explained.

"Hold on," Allura interrupted, "Pidge, why do you go to an all boys school if you're a girl?"

"My father and brother went there. I wanted to know more about them since they're off doing who knows what for the government," she told her.

"Why not talk to them?" Allura asked. The table went silent.

"They're off the grid," Pidge said as they looked down at their milkshake.

"Pidge, I'm sorry. I didn't realize…" Allura trailed off.

"It's okay. You didn't know," Pidge replied before smiling, "So, whose house are we at tomorrow? I can't wait to make Allura a tumblr."

"Then I guess we'll be at my house. What's everyone's numbers? I'll text you the address in the morning," she said as she put her phone on the table. The teens took turns passing it around and adding their contact to her phone.

"Well, I have to get going. I have a paper on astronomy that's due in two days that I have to get done today. I can't wait to see you all tomorrow," Allura beamed as she slid out of the booth, giving one last wave as she headed out the door.

* * *

The teens all watched her leave. Shiro returned her wave. After the door closed behind her, the teens all looked at their college aged 'dad.'

"You've got it  _bad_ , bro," Lance teased.

Shiro blushed, "I…don't know what you're talking about."

"So your face doesn't look like the sun just left because of her?" Keith asked.

"I mean, she's pretty and kind, and incredibly smart, but she'd never date me," Shiro sighed.

"Dude, you're  _totally_  blind," Hunk told him.

"We'll prove you wrong, don't worry," Pidge smirked. Shiro laid his head on the table. He knew there was no stopping them once they agreed to do something.

* * *


	5. Cat Attack

Allura sighed as she stared at her computer screen. She'd been staring at this blank space for at least three hours. She could read the stars easier than she could write about them. With one final glare she closed her laptop, postponing her paper on wormholes yet again for the third night in a row. She leaned back in her chair before stretching. She needed a break. She rolled her neck before getting out of her chair and walking towards her kitchen. She was about to open the fridge when her uncle came barreling through their back door, sopping wet and holding a box.

"You really do need to keep an umbrella in your car," she teased as she opened a drawer and tossed him a dishtowel.

"The weather channel said it shouldn't rain until tomorrow. Blasted liars the lot of them," he grumbled as he gently placed the box on their kitchen island.

"Did we get a package?" Allura asked curiously as she went to open the box. Her hand was about to open the flaps when she heard scratching coming from inside the box. She jerked her hand back and raised an eyebrow at her uncle as he dried off his mustache.

"What's in the box, Uncle?" she asked.

"Nothing," he answered flippantly. Allura heard scratching coming from the box again, followed by what sounded like mewling.

"Nothing?  _Nothing tra-la-la-la_? Doesn't sound like nothing to me," she smirked.

"Allura, I do not appreciate your use of the late-great David Bowie's lines from the  _Labyrinth_  right now," Coran chastised.

"I'm sorry, Uncle, but I  _know_  you're hiding something and I'm  _going_  to open this box and see what it is," she said with authority before once again reaching over and opening the box. She gasped at what she saw. There, in a bed of the blanket her uncle kept in his car, were five kittens. Two were currently fighting each other, one was sleeping, another was staring at the two fighting cats, and the last one was currently staring up at Allura with big eyes. Allura quickly picked the kitten up and hugged it to her chest.

"I found them outside the math department. I didn't want to leave them out in this rain, and who knows what would have happened if I left them there. I know we can find good homes for them, can't we?" he asked her with a hopeful smile. It was times like this where Allura felt like she was the head of this household. It was both comical and sweet that her uncle respected her this much to let her have final say over things most of the time. Then again, considering who she was she wouldn't be surprised. Allura was a princess back in Altea. She made a deal with her father that she would rule once she got her education and "had her adventures" as her father put it. At one point, she wanted to just rule, but her father had sent her away to live with her uncle one summer and since then she agreed that she should go out on her own and explore the world. Her father had been surprised by her choice to live with Coran, but her respected her decision, knowing that she was very close to her uncle. She'd even taken his last name so she could stay with him. Her classmates didn't know about her royal status, and she liked it that way. They weren't trying to be her friend just because she was a princess. They treated her like they treated everyone else. She liked just being herself for once, not having to worry that the eyes of the world were upon her. That's why she was a little shocked when Shiro had called her "Princess." He didn't say it the same way everyone at home did. They said it as a title, like her name. She wasn't Allura to them; she was  _Princess_. Shiro had said it with more care. He said it with a smile and as much endearment as one would regard a loved one. Sure, sometimes he said it in a teasing manner, but it was still different. She liked it. She found herself reminded of Shiro as she looked at this cat. It was black with a white streak on its forehead. She looked down at the other kittens and found that they reminded her of people, too. Suddenly, she was struck with an idea.

"Uncle, I think I know the perfect homes for these cats," she smiled at him.

"Well, I'm glad. I don't know what I'd do if all these kittens were running around the house. That gray one with the blue eyes likes playing with my mustache," Coran grumbled. Allura smirked before placing the black cat back in the box and picking up the mentioned cat. She then walked over to her uncle and held the cat out to him. Sure enough, the kitten reached out its paw and started petting his mustache before meowing. Allura couldn't help herself, she started to laugh.

"It's not funny! It takes me fifteen minutes to brush this mustache in the morning," he replied. That revelation somehow made her laugh harder.

"You actually brush it?" she asked incredulously. She had to hand the kitten to her uncle because she was laughing so hard.

"How else do you think I get it to look like this?" he shot back. Allura took a few calming breaths to sober herself.

"Well, Uncle, on that note I think I'm going to go to bed. However, I'm taking this kitten with me," she said as she picked up the black cat again and started walking towards her room.

"What am I supposed to do with these other kittens?" Coran asked.

"Why don't you sleep with them?" She suggested. Coran looked down at the cat that had crawled up his shoulder and was batting at his mustache again. The other cats had peeked up over the edge of the box to stare at him.

With a sigh, he gave in, "Oh, alright. It's  _just_  for tonight."

Allura smiled, "Goodnight, Uncle Coran."

"Goodnight, Allura."

 


	6. Cat Tales

Allura awoke before her uncle for once. Then again, it wasn't her fault. A certain black kitten had booped her nose and meowed until she woke up to feed him. She picked up the kitten and placed it on her shoulder before getting up and heading for the kitchen. However, she figured that if her kitten was hungry, then the other kittens must be hungry, too. She carefully cracked open the door to her uncle's room and peeked inside. He  _really_  needed to redecorate in here. His room looked like it belonged in a Victorian mansion. His walls were covered in weirdly patterned wallpaper, he had a writing desk in one corner and a dark wood bureau next to it. In the center of the room there was a large four-poster bed with velvet curtains that one of the kittens was trying to climb up. Allura sprang into action to detach the kitten from the curtain before her uncle woke up. It was a Maine Coon kitten that had been fighting with the kitten that didn't like her uncle's mustache yesterday. Allura spotted the box they came home in over on the desk and put both the black cat with the white forehead and the Maine Coon in the box. She then picked up a fluffier kitten that was chewing on a sleeping kitten's tail. Both of them went back into the box before Allura turned to look for the mustache cat from yesterday. Surprisingly, he wasn't playing with her uncle's mustache. She sighed, of course it wasn't going to be that easy to find this cat. She was about to check under the bed when she heard a small mewl from above her head. She looked up to find the missing kitten sitting triumphantly on the canopy of the bed. Allura raised her eyebrow at it before gently plucking it off and plopping him back in the box. She picked up the box and rested it on her hip as she carried it to the kitchen.

* * *

"You five are going to be trouble. I can already tell that," she chuckled as she opened the fridge and pulled out some milk. After pouring some in a bowl and giving it to the kittens, she walked over to her living room to check her phone. She opened it to find 20 messages in a new chat.

**_Shiro: I figured this would be an easier way for all of us to make plans since it would bypass Allura having to text us all individually._ **

**_Memeteam Leader: You're just making sure none of us flirt with her in a private chat ;)_ **

**_ThatGuyintheCorner: Lance, I'm sure that's not the reason._ **

**_Pidgeon: I think the chat was a good idea._ **

**_ChocolatecHUNKcookie: Same._ **

Allura blinked. Who was Memeteam Leader? She checked her contacts to find that someone had entered their number into her phone as that. It took her a few seconds to realize it had been Lance. Pidgeon was obviously Pidge. ChocolatecHUNKcookie was Hunk, and ThatGuyintheCorner must be Keith. Allura thought their nicknames were clever and debated changing them to their real names. After weighing the pros and cons she decided to change their names back to normal for the time being. It'd make it easier to keep up with who was who. However, she did change the name of the chat to "Paladins" as an inside joke with herself. After skimming the rest of the chat and seeing that she didn't miss anything important, she put her phone back down on the table and went to go take a shower before cleaning her house in preparation for her friends coming over.

* * *

By the time she was finished with everything, it was 10 in the morning. Her uncle had already woken up and left to get breakfast with the professor of Balmera studies. Allura was lucky enough to not have classes that day since it was a workman's holiday that her university celebrated. After putting the finishing touches on her living room, she sent her address to the group chat and told them that they were welcome to come over whenever. Before she plopped on the couch, she went over and pulled the kittens out of the box and sat with them on the couch. Kittens were crawling all over her when a knock sounded at her door.

"It's open!" She called out. She was giggling as the littlest kitten with green eyes and tan fur was nuzzling her cheek. The black kitten had entangled itself in her hair and the maine coon kitten was crawling up the sleeve of her shirt. The other two kittens were sitting peacefully in her lap. Shiro walked into the living room to see Allura being overrun by the kittens and smirked.

"You remind me of Jimmy Fallon when he does the puppy trivia," he teased.

"Shiro!" Allura said in shock before moving to remove the kittens into a more normal position. "I didn't know it was you."

"Well, I did send you a text saying I was on my way," he replied as he took the black kitten out of her hair. "What's with the kittens? I didn't know you had any pets."

"Oh! Well, you see, my uncle came home last night with a box of kittens that someone had left outside the math department. I told him I could find homes for them," she explained as she hugged the blue-eyed kitten to her chest. She looked over at Shiro to see him holding the black kitten in his cupped hands. They both seemed to stare at each other for a bit before the kitten meowed at him.

"It's meowing, what am I supposed to do?" He asked as he looked over at Allura with wide eyes.

"You pet it," she replied as she reached over to scratch the kitten under the chin. Shiro gently placed the kitten on his shoulder and scratched his head. The kitten nuzzled his cheek in response. Allura smiled at the scene.

"Say, Shiro… would you maybe be able to take in that kitten? It seems to really like you," she pointed out.

"Me? Take in a cat?  _I don't know_ …" he trailed off as he looked at the purring kitten. It was trying to walk down his chest before falling due to gravity. It quickly righted itself and put its paw on Shiro's chest and looked up at him with big eyes. That sold it for him. "Yeah, I  _guess_  I can take him in."

"Yay!" Allura cheered before hugging Shiro from the side.

"What are you going to do with the others?" he asked her as she pulled away.

"Well, we have four more kittens…  _and four more friends_ ," she grinned.

"Oh, no. Keith is  _definitely_  a dog person," Shiro stated. Allura held up the Maine Coon to Shiro's face.

"But who could resist this little one's face?" She asked him. Shiro just sighed in response.

"We'll see how it goes."

 


	7. Family Matters

Shiro and Allura were watching TV when a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in!" She yelled over her shoulder. The paladins walked in to see the back of them, Shiro's arm casually draped over the back of the couch behind Allura. Lance gave the rest of them a pointed look as he walked over and plopped down on the couch next to Allura.

"So, what's with the purries?" he asked as he gestured to the cats overtaking the couple.

"Did you just… call the kittens…  _purries_?" Hunk asked before cracking up. "Dude, that is the worst pun you've made this week."

"It's not  _that_  bad," Lance defended.

"It is pretty bad, though," Keith agreed.

"Your mullet is pretty bad, Keith," Lance shot back.

"That was uncalled for!" Keith whined.

"Paladins! Please… sit. I'll tell you about the cats," she said with a smirk. Allura then proceeded to tell them all about how her uncle had brought home the cats.

* * *

"So, why are you telling us this?" Keith asked.

"Because obviously the cats are meant for you," Allura said as though it was a fact.

"I'm more of a dog person," Keith deadpanned.

" _Told you_ ," Shiro murmured into her ear. Allura just smiled at Keith while she elbowed Shiro in the ribs.

"Here," Allura said as she plopped a kitten in each of their laps. "This might change your mind." Lance's cat automatically crawled up his hoodie by the strings before landing on his shoulder. Pidge's kitten stared at her curiously and cocked it's head to the side. Hunk's kitten sat in his lap and just started to purr. Meanwhile, Keith's cat bit his finger.

"Ow!  _See_ , it doesn't like me," Keith whined.

"Nonsense! The kitten just wants to play, see?" Allura said as she gestured down at the kitten. It now rested on it's back with it's belly up, waiting to be petted. Keith sighed and scratched it's tummy.

"Okay, so maybe it  _is_  kind of cute…" he smiled.

"Aw, perfect! I can't believe I found homes for them all," Allura beamed.

"Wait just a minute," Shiro said, "not all of them can keep the cats at their houses. What do you propose we do with them?"

"I suppose they could live here. The Paladins would just have to come over and play with them daily so that they don't get themselves in trouble due to having too much energy," Allura said thoughtfully.

"Works for me," Hunk said.

"Haha, yeah! Me, too. I always wanted a cat," Lance added.

"Then it's settled. The kittens will live here, but it is your responsibility to take care of them," Shiro said in a parental tone.

"Yes,  _dad_ ," Lance teased. He picked up the kitten from his shoulder and nuzzled it. "I'm going to call you… Beyoncé."

"Like the singer?" Hunk asked, "Why?"

"Because she slays, and any cat of mine will slay as well," Lance said matter-of-factly.

"Oooookay then," Pidge commented, "I think I'm going to call mine Alberta. Like Einstein, but feminine."

"I'm going to name mine Chips," Hunk declared. Everyone stared at him for a second. "You know, like computer chips!" he defended.

Keith shook his head, "I guess I'll name her Spark. Shiro, what are you naming yours?"

"I was thinking Ro-meow, but it's a girl, so… I think I will call her Comet, because the white streak on her forehead looks like a comet," Shiro decided.

Allura squealed in delight, "I'm so happy I found homes for them all! I know they're going to love you guys!"

The kittens suddenly converged on Allura, licking her face and crawling over her body.

"Looks like they love you, too," Shiro smiled as Comet nuzzled Allura's cheek. The kittens were going to be just fine with their new owners.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent playing video games and watching movies. A couple of pizzas were ordered, and overall shenanigans ensued.

"So, what are you all going to be doing when you go home?" Allura asked them all as they geared up to leave. They were currently standing around her door, none of them particularly wanting to leave.

"I'll probably finish doing homework," Pidge replied. The paladins turned to look at their shorter friend in shock.

"YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED YOUR HOMEWORK YET?" Lance asked incredulously, "Who are you, and what have you done with my Pidge?"

Pidge looked down at her feet and shrugged. She couldn't help it, she'd been curious about Allura's home country so she'd been looking up information about it. She didn't know much about it, except the information listed on the CIA database. Apparently they were on the travel ban list due to the ongoing fight with the neighboring country of Galra, led by a dictator named Zarkon.

"Well, I'm sure Pidge wants to go study. Hunk, Lance, I'm sure you two have family obligations to get to. Keith, are you sure you want to go home right away?" Shiro asked the teen.

"I might not go home right away. It's not like anyone is home, anyways," Keith shrugged.

"No one's home?" Allura asked as her eyebrows creased. The others all looked at their feet, not wanting to answer for Keith. If he wanted to tell her, then he would, they figured.

"I'm an emancipated orphan. My parents left me everything, but I'm saving it for college," Keith explained monotonously.

"But, you're homeschooled…" Allura murmured before her eyes widened as she realized what that meant. "You teach yourself?"

"You should see his apartment, it's full of more books than are in Pidge's room," Lance said as he thumbed towards Pidge.

"It's true," Hunk nodded, "Sometimes I go over to borrow some science books for chemistry. He has most of the latest editions. I don't know how he got ahold of them, though."

"Well, we better get going," Keith sighed as he pulled on his jacket and moved to head out the door.

"Bye, Allura, thanks for having us over," Pidge smiled as she followed suit.

Hunk gave her a big hug before pulling away and blushing, "Thanks for the cat, Allura."

Lance slowly took hold of Allura's hand before planting a kiss on the back of it. "Sweet dreams of me," he said with a wink before following his friends out the door. Allura couldn't help herself. She turned to Shiro and started to giggle. Shiro smiled back, waiting for her to finish laughing before saying goodbye.

"Well," he sighed, "I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"I guess so," she said a tad awkwardly. Shiro bent down to pick up his kitten, but it started to meow and crawl towards Allura.

"I guess Comet wants to stay," Shiro said as he awkwardly shuffled on his feet.

"She can if she wants. She's a great cuddle buddy in bed," Allura joked.

"Then, I guess she'll stay here with the others, if that's alright with you," Shiro said.

"That'd be no problem whatsoever," she smiled.

"Well…" Shiro started. Neither of them made any sign of moving. Shiro closed his eyes and took a breath before quickly bending down to kiss her forehead. "Good night, Princess."

"Good night, Shiro," she blushed as he righted himself and turned to hide the redness in his cheeks as he left. She watched him walk down the walkway before closing the door and leaning her back against it. The kittens gathered around her feet and stared up at her. Oh, how things have changed.

* * *

**A/N: Guys, I'm so sorry. I just started college and the workload is slightly crazy. When I'm not doing homework, I'm trying to have a social life or I'm at work. This has been done since the first week of September. I just haven't posted it. That's how bad this has gotten. I will be working harder to update at least monthly. I am so sorry for making you all wait this long.**


	8. Seeing Stars

Allura somehow managed to finish her astrology paper that night after multiple cups of green tea. She had crawled into bed at around two in the morning after hearing the " _you need to be more on top of your homework_ " lecture from her uncle. The following morning, she woke up to find the kittens curled into a cuddle puddle on her bed. She smiled at them before carefully sliding out of bed and getting ready for school. She walked into her kitchen to find a stack of green pancakes in the shape of stars on a plate with a note from her uncle next to it that said: " _I figured you'd be too tired to make real food for breakfast. Thought you'd like something hot for brain fuel. See you after class, Coran_." Allura smiled at the note before pulling out some syrup from the fridge. They didn't taste exactly like the one's she'd had with her friends, that's for sure. These pancakes were slightly dry and not as fluffy. They also tasted of the green powder that her uncle tried to stick in everything. No, not as appetizing, that's for sure. Yet, they were still edible. Were they the best pancakes ever? No, but they weren't the worst either.

After she finished her pancakes, she got ready to go to school, newly printed paper in her bag. She wasn't sure if she was entirely ready to face the day, but she had a feeling that it would be alright. This was her last full day of classes before finals weeks. Then, it would be smooth sailing until Christmas. She just had to somehow make it through the next two weeks. Luckily, most of her professors gave her the days off leading up to the exams to study. She knew she'd be prepared for the tests, but she was still grateful for those study days. She'd take full advantage of them and would maybe be able to get over her nerves. With that thought in mind, she left her house and walked towards her university.

* * *

Allura wasn't paying attention as she rounded the corner and nearly collided with a hard, broad chest. Her bag fell from her shoulder onto the ground.

"Hey, careful there, Princess. Wouldn't want you hurting yourself," Shiro said as he steadied her.

"Oh, Shiro, I didn't see you there," Allura replied with a slight blush. She couldn't help but think of his chaste kiss to her forehead the night before.

Shiro's brow crinkled in confusion, "Are you okay? You seem a little flushed."

"I-I'm fine, I can assure you that. I just need to get to class," she stammered.

"Here, I'll walk with you. My next class isn't for another hour anyway," Shiro offered.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Allura said with a wave of her hand as she bent to pick up her bag. However, Shiro beat her to it, swinging it over his shoulder.

"I know I don't  _have_  to. I want to. So, where to?" he smiled.

"Astronomy. 103 in Balmera Hall," she replied. Shiro offered his arm and proceeded to walk her to class.

* * *

After they reached the door to her classroom, Shiro handed her bag back to her.

"Have a good class," he told her before turning to leave.

"Hey, Shiro!" Allura called after him.

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to study for my uncle's class together later? Preferably not in my house, though. He is such a helicopter uncle when I'm doing homework for his class. It's a wonder I actually learned anything this semester," she commented. Her uncle was helpful, but sometimes he was  _too_  helpful. Allura just wanted to learn the material on her own and go to him with questions when she had them. It was nerve-racking to have him constantly looking over her shoulder as she was doing homework.

"Um, sure. Do you want to go to the library or to my apartment?" Shiro asked.

"We can go to your place. If we go to the library then I'll probably get distracted by all the books," Allura chuckled. It's true, the last time she went to the library for a research paper on world politics and she ended up reading about fairy tales for two hours instead. That was the last time she went to the library to actually work on homework. Besides, she'd rather see what Shiro's home looked like. She hadn't been there in a while and her uncle always said you could tell a lot about a person from their décor.

"Alright. When's your last class? I'll pick you up afterwards and we can walk back to my place," Shiro said as he shifted uncomfortably. The last person he had over at his house had been Keith when Keith was sick and needed someone to take care of him. Shiro would definitely have to find a way to clean it before Allura came over. It wasn't that his house was messy per se, just probably not up to her standards. Not to mention, Shiro's home wasn't very homey. It was kind of bare. He had all the essentials to be a productive human being, but his quarters weren't very personal. It would be in stark contrast to Allura and Coran's home where everything was full of color and character.

"This is my last class actually. I won't be out for another two hours, though. We have one last lab today because it will be on the final exam. After that I'm meeting Pidge for lunch and then I'm free as a bird," she smiled.

"Well, how about we meet in the ballroom of the administration building at 4 then?" Shiro offered. That would give him time to finish his classes, clean his apartment, and make it back to campus to pick her up.

"Sounds perfect. See you then," Allura smiled before turning and walking into class. She had just gotten a text message from Pidge that morning asking her to meet up for a late lunch at the diner. Apparently Pidge wanted to create that tumblr page for Allura finally since she had forgotten to do so when they were at Allura's house. Allura didn't mind hanging out with Pidge, anyways. She felt a little sorry for Pidge since she was surrounded by the boys all the time. She figured Pidge could use a break from their antics for once and have some quality girl bonding time.

Allura took her seat as her professor stood at the board. He activated the planetarium and the wall was covered in stars and planets. Allura may not like the homework in this class, but she would definitely miss being able to see the stars whenever she wanted. Something about them just reminded her of home. It was probably something to do with the countless hours she used to spend with her mother in the garden stargazing. Her father never quite understood why the stars were important to them, but he let them have their fun. Even after her mother passed away, Allura would still lay on the grass in the garden to stare up at the stars. There was just something about the lights that made Allura feel less alone on those nights. She was always grateful for the comforting glow. Allura sighed as she opened her notebook, pencil poised above the paper. She was ready for the day's learning to begin.

* * *

**A/N: Guys, honestly, college makes it slightly hard to update as regularly as I'd like. However, I'd like to thank anyone still reading this. You're partly the reason I'm still here. The other reason is that I have a story that I need to tell. Like always, reviews are nice. 3**


End file.
